Nov. 10, 2018, 1:50 p.m.

Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Bryan Fernandez points to a hole that firefighters cut in the roof of a condo to keep flames from spreading. (Ben Poston / Los Angeles Times)

After high winds caused the Woolsey fire to leap over the Pacific Coast Highway and barrel toward a seaside condominium complex Friday afternoon, firefighters knew they had to act fast to save the Malibu Bay Club community.

Palm trees were catching fire in the complex’s northeast corner and one of the units quickly became engulfed in flames.

“The wind was pushing through here, just making it damn near impossible to put this fire out,” said Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Bryan Fernandez. Firefighters dumped about 5,000 gallons of water on the flames to no avail.

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Nov. 10, 2018, 1:19 p.m.

The fires burning across California are not only destroying homes and sending people fleeing from flames, but are creating dangerously poor air quality even for those not directly affected by the blazes.

Many Californians, some as many as a hundred miles from a fire, report thick, gray air in their neighborhoods. School was canceled in some areas because of the smoke, as the danger is worse in places where smoke is visible.

Nov. 10, 2018, 1:17 p.m.

The Woolsey fire has destroyed some iconic pieces of Hollywood, including the Paramount Ranch, and has threatened celebrity homes.

Now, the producers of “The Bachelor” say they are trying to determine if the house where the show was once filmed survived.

From their statement: “The ‘Bachelor Mansion’ is a private home in one of the current burn areas of Los Angeles. The area has been closed to traffic so we do not know the current status of the home. It is primarily a private residence, and our main concern is with the family who has been displaced, their neighbors, and all the communities impacted by this tragic fire. We thank the tireless efforts of the first responders here in Los Angeles County and across the state.”

They packed their belongings and woke up every two hours Thursday night into Friday morning to check the Woolsey fire’s progress in Bell Canyon. The family knew that if the fire crossed over a ridgeline near their Tudor-style five-bedroom home, they would have to leave.

They didn’t realize how quickly that would happen.

At 5:30 a.m. Friday, the Gallaghers got a warning from their homeowners association that the fire was spreading fast. Soon after, Gallagher was screaming as she and her family rushed into action.

Tall, deep orange flames chewed timber near their home. Before they could scramble into their cars and leave, the fire had already crept to their driveway.

Gallagher’s niece was last in the caravan, and as she left, burning branches landed on her car hood, Gallagher said.

Nov. 10, 2018, 11:31 a.m.

A vigil Thursday night for the victims of the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks was so packed that ushers barred people from entering the auditorium.

Those left outside pressed their faces against the glass doors, trying to watch the service on the TV in the overflow room. As the winds picked up, they zipped up their jackets and hugged their arms to their chests, but they didn’t leave — a show of solidarity with a city touched by tragedy.

Nearby, a group of mourners linked hands and sang “Amazing Grace” under oak trees strung with lights. Inside the auditorium, people gripped battery-powered candles and wiped away tears as they remembered the 12 people who had been killed the night before at Borderline Bar and Grill.

Nov. 10, 2018, 11:20 a.m.

Ventura County sheriff's Sgt. Eric Buschow said Saturday that three people have been arrested for suspicious activity in North Ranch, an upscale area near Westlake Boulevard and Kanan Road that was evacuated under threat of fire.

Residents reported a man walking around the neighborhood. He was arrested on suspicion of prowling and being in an evacuated area. In the second incident, officers spotted a car driving around. That began a short pursuit after the driver ignored orders to pull over.

Nov. 10, 2018, 9:58 a.m.

On Wednesday night, Kyle Jorrey looked over the final version of the newspaper and decided it was ready for print. It had been a long day of reporting after the local elections, and he told his staff he might take Thursday off.

Jorrey is the editor of the Thousand Oaks Acorn, a weekly paper that comes out every Thursday. The paper is part of a family of publications that covers nearby communities, including Simi Valley, Camarillo and Agoura Hills.

But after Jorrey got home, he heard about the Borderline shooting. He rushed to the scene and worked till 4 a.m. to get a story up on the paper’s website. He then texted his two reporters: “When you wake up tomorrow, you’re going to be facing the biggest story you’ve ever faced.”